The Klee universe

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There are artists who observe the world and those who create their own visionary cosmologies, building personal mythologies through motifs. Paul Klee (1879-1940) exemplified the latter, as reflected in his aphorism, "Art does not reproduce the visible, rather it makes visible." His work is explored through this lens. In 1906, Klee declared, "All will be Klee," and by 1911, he began cataloging his creations, which would eventually exceed 9,000 items by his death. This book presents Klee's oeuvre as a cohesive whole, organized thematically around the human life cycle—from birth and childhood to desire, parenthood, and death—as well as music, architecture, theater, religion, plants, animals, landscapes, and darker themes like war and fear. It reimagines Klee as a Renaissance man, showcasing his extensive knowledge and the coherent system of ideas and images within his work. Klee, born and died in Switzerland without ever obtaining citizenship, held German nationality and taught at the Bauhaus from 1921 to 1926, alongside notable contemporaries. His art was infamously included in the Nazi's 1937 exhibition of "degenerate art."